Nov 29, Colombo: Sri Lankan government today said the petitioning the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in courts is a violation of parliamentary privileges since the PSC to probe the impeachment motion against Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake was appointed according to the Constitution.

Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva raising a privilege issue in parliament said today no external entity can exert influences on the parliamentary select committee as it has been formed by standing orders of the parliament.

He was raising the issue against the court's notice to the Speaker and the members of the PSC, in reference to the four petitions being heard by the Supreme Court with against the impeachment motion.

Debating the issue Leader of the House said that the Speaker is being entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the sovereignty of parliament.

He reiterated that the parliamentarians should consider it as their special responsibility to safeguard the sovereignty, independence and honor of parliament and to protect it from outside obstructions.

Debating the issue for nearly an hour, the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe said that the process of impeachment relating to the removal of Presidents and Judges is part of the legislature itself.

Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said the Supreme Court has no power to summon the Speaker before the courts. The supreme body of the country is the Constitution and the judiciary has the right to inquire if the parliament is acting against the Constitution.